While the Black Shark 2 doesn't pack the screen refresh rates of the competition - 120Hz on the Razer Phone series and 90Hz on the Asus ROG Phone - it does claim to be the most responsive, with a 240Hz touch report rate, and a 43.5ms response time. This time around though, it's AMOLED all the way, and with an added 0.4-inches of screen size, totaling 6.39-inches, it's more immersive too. The original Black Shark packed a fair, unexceptional LCD display. Ultimately, the Black Shark 2 still won’t be for everyone from a design point of view given its aggressive aesthetic and lack of water resistance, but it’s improved over its predecessor, adding refinement, screen size and more RGB into the mix. So too is a semi-opaque black plastic bumper, which helps save the back and sides from scuffs and scratches, and there’s a pre-fitted screen protector neatly keeping the front safe too. There’s no headphone port on the phone, but a USB-C to 3.5mm adaptor is included in the box. At the base there's a USB-C port, and on either side are light up RGB strips to compound the ‘grrrr’ factor. To the left there's a volume rocker, and to the right, a power button and toggle to transport users into Shark Space, the phone’s gaming center. With on-screen buttons, there isn’t much extra faff on the fascia, though above and below the display there's a pair of welcome front-firing stereo speakers, while at the top of the phone’s front there's a 20MP selfie camera.
On the front of the Black Shark 2 there's the Full HD+ display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, complete with an in-screen fingerprint scanner as found on the likes of the OnePlus 6T and Huawei P30 Pro. Despite being bigger, it’s slightly slimmer, at 8.8mm, so isn’t particularly chunky, and the whole phone just looks that bit more refined too. This time around, things have gotten a little bigger and heavier, with the Black Shark 2 weighing 15g more and packing a taller body than the original.
Still, the Snapdragon 855 chipset inside the Black Shark 2, paired with a minimum of 8GB of RAM and up to 12GB, will rip right through even the toughest Android games out now, and there’s also a 4,000mAh battery inside. There’s no headphone jack or NFC, both of which are noteworthy omissions, and there’s also no wireless charging. In addition, there’s an in-screen fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers and a dual-lens camera around the back, with the primary sensor clocking in at 48MP. The screen has seen a bump up in size, from 5.99 inches to 6.39 inches, and while it’s still a Full HD+ resolution, this time around Black Shark has opted for AMOLED screen tech, which when done well is the pinnacle of smartphone screen tech thanks to its extra punch and pop. Once again, Black Shark has released an aggressive-looking metal phone, only this time, the illuminated logo on the back doesn’t just glow green, it delivers over 16 million colors and is part of a trinity of glowing elements - with the other two on the left and right side of the device. No NFC, headphone jack or wireless charging.
If you want to pick up the slightly improved Black Shark 2 Pro (which we'll explore later in this article) it'll cost you £539 for the 8GB/128GB model (about $700, AU$1,010), but the 12GB/256GB device will set you back a slightly pricey £629 (roughly $815, AU$1,180). It’s also available in China and other European markets, though no US release has been confirmed. The 128GB Black Shark 2 costs £479 (roughly $620/AU$880), with Australian pricing yet to be confirmed, and the 12GB/256GB model costs £529 (around $690, AU$995). The Black Shark 2 is available now in the UK on Black Shark’s website.Īvailable in two versions, it packs either 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Image Credit: TechRadar Black Shark 2 price and availability